Can I Include Dialog in My Story Plan?

This is something I regularly do when composing a plan for a new book, and find it can be extremely helpful when writing up the initial rough draft of the manuscript. It really depends upon the kind of book one is writing, and how one feels when they are writing whether or not to include dialog in the plan. I find that some books are more along the lines of just plotting the action in the first instance, and segmenting the scenes into chapters or parts of a chapter without dialog.

Story Writing Plan Image (Image Credit: jppi at morguefile.com)

Many times when writing the plan, I find myself carried away by certain scenes, and the dialog just flows from these character exchanges. By having scenes peppered with dialog in the plan, it can make the writing of the first draft so much simpler, as it can be a matter of copying these scenes into the rough draft, and using these as a starting point when refining the particular book in later stages.

If you are not certain about including dialog in your initial story plan, give it a try and see how it works for you. Every writer is different in the way they plan their stories, and execute the writing of these. If you are like me and dialog can crop up when least expected, run away with this if you feel it works, and expect to make yourself excited about the story, and readers in the process when you publish the final draft!

When writing your book, do you temporarily leave the draft at a pivotal story moment, or at the chapter’s end?

This is something I often consider when writing; should I leave the draft at a pivotal story moment, or at the chapter’s end. There is no straight answer, but I think it is great to do both – in other words, have one’s cake, and eat it too! But on a more serious note, it has more to do with the writer, and what they are writing – that is, the story itself.

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If you find that leaving the story at a section makes you salivate to write the next instalment then this is good; it shows that the story is having an effect on you as a writer, which can make the story all the more delicious to write! On the other hand, if you find it is easier to complete the chapter, and this leaves you hanging, and anticipating to write the rest of the story, why not. It’s whatever we are comfortable with, can manage, and find stimulating in the writing process.

It also depends upon the story, and what we wish to convey through it to the reader. I am currently in this process with a mystery-romance story I’ve been working on, and I have found that leaving the story at a main point is making me want to finish it when I can, as the suspense is exciting during the writing. As a backup with everything, it is always helpful to have a breakdown of events, the ‘bare bones’ of the story that you can refer to whenever necessary, to keep you on track when completing the project.

It doesn’t mean, though, that everything has to be cut and dry; changes always occur when writing, ideas and concepts crop up that didn’t previously enter the mind, and these spur you on to write, and make the story the best it can be. And, of course, finding those ‘ah’ moments that leave you excited, and aiming to finish your manuscript!

Guest Post: author Eve Paludan discusses her experience in Kindle Worlds writing books with other authors’ characters

Today we have the immense pleasure of welcoming author Eve Paludan to Marcia’s Book Talk. Eve, the author of many paranormal romance and science fiction books, discusses her experience writing books on Amazon’s Kindle Worlds, and how wonderful it was to be able to write in collaboration with author J.R. Rain. This is an incisive and very helpful essay, with much pertinent information for those writers who are thinking of writing for Kindle Worlds. For more about this, here’s Eve…

Eve Paludan, author photograph

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Kindle Worlds: Writing Books with Other Authors’ Characters by Eve Paludan

So far, I have two Kindle Worlds titles: The Abnorm Chronicles: Glimmer and Vampire for Hire: Wolf Moon (Kingsley Fulcrum, Werewolf for Hire Book 1).

THE PAST

My entry into Kindle Worlds was unexpected and thrilling. In February 2014, bestselling author J.R. Rain honored me by asking me to collaborate on a novella with him for The Abnorm Chronicles. Oh, that was a fun project to write with such a professional storyteller—J.R. is a guy who can write great fight scenes and offer unexpected plot twists! It was such a joy to collaborate with J.R., who is a successful indie author in his own right. He is a million-selling author whose titles have even landed on the USA Today bestseller list. Glimmer was released on April 2, 2014, and by April 4, 2014, it was a #1 bestseller in Kindle Worlds Mystery, Thriller and Suspense Category. Even though Glimmer is not a new title, it still sporadically appears on the bestseller rankings.

THE ABNORM CHRONICLES: GLIMMER by J.R. Rain and Eve Paludan

Our collaborative Kindle Worlds novella, Glimmer, is based on the first book in a series, Brilliance, by Marcus Sakey and takes a cue from a character who is only mentioned offhand and not even by name in Sakey’s first book, which I thought gave us a lot of creative room to choose her for a heroine. J.R. and I gave the heroine a name, a career, a personal life, and daunting conflicts that fit the trope of Brilliance, a book in which very intelligent people are about to be microchipped by the government, tracked, and ultimately, controlled. We invented the character of Dana Marlowe, a woman whose job it is to seduce and collect genetic samples from specific brilliant men who are targeted by the company she works for—among them, Senator Blake Crouch, who is a character in Sakey’s original series. Dana’s job is tough, but someone has to do it in order to make a better world for everyone. But Dana’s boss, a scientist, may or may not be all that she seems.

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THE PRESENT

Although I absolutely love writing for my own series, with my own characters, if I fall in love with a hero in someone else’s books, and he becomes my serious book boyfriend—a hero I can’t stop thinking about multiple times per day—I get quite a thrill when I see the creator of that series has a Kindle World based on his or her series. This means I can go and play in another author’s world with the hero whom I want to know, and love, and have adventures with—if only he were real, right? When, this time, J.R. Rain invited me to be a launch author, I was over the moon, and I wrote like mad. And, I had this big secret to keep for a month, until launch day for the Vampire for Hire Kindle World—I couldn’t tell everyone that I had a Kingsley and Samantha book of my very own coming and it was pure torture!

VAMPIRE FOR HIRE: WOLF MOON by Eve Paludan

Vampire for Hire: Wolf Moon was published by Kindle Worlds on June 14, 2015, and it has been a success so far. It’s hit number one in its category quite a few times and has stayed on the bestseller rankings for 14 weeks, mostly in the top ten of Kindle Worlds Science Fiction and Fantasy. Now, I’m working on Vampire for Hire: Wolf Crimes (Kingsley Fulcrum, Werewolf for Hire Book 2). I can’t wait to again play with Kingsley Fulcrum in a new adventure where he, Samantha Moon, Fang, and others from the original series, love, fight, laugh and solve crimes—or sometimes, commit them.

Kingsley is currently my favorite book boyfriend—he’s a very sexy and funny werewolf and when he blows it, he always manages to redeem himself in the last few pages. The most fun I ever had writing a novella was when I wrote Wolf Moon and apparently, it shows, because many readers like my own take on the big, hairy, strong Kingsley, the wonderful werewolf lawyer character who was created by J.R. Rain.

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KINDLE WORLDS TIPS

1. SERIES: If you get an idea for a Kindle Worlds novel, based on a series that you know well and love, think about creating your own series within that World, which Kindle Worlds allows you to do when submitting your book or novella. During the submission process, you will have a chance to fill in the blank (or not) that lets you name your series in the Amazon catalog. I recommend you think in terms of three books for your Kindle Worlds series within that world. If you only write one book in a World, you are not going to have quite the stunning reader reception that a series elicits. Trust me on this.

2. PRICING: The prices of Kindle Worlds books and stories are based on word count, and Kindle Worlds has all of the price control. Authors do not. KW may also put your book on sale for 99 cents on occasion, even if it is $1.99 on the launch. I cannot get a definitive answer in writing, but I was told that if my book’s word count surpassed 50,000 words, then Kindle Worlds would offer my book at a higher price. To me, that meant that I would likely have less sales at the higher price. My opinion is that Kindle Worlds authors should aim for volume sales because the royalty is only going to be 35%, so you’ll need a lot of sales to make it into the black (if you pay professionals for editing and a book cover). Authors, I recommend that you keep your Kindle Worlds works under 50,000 words and hopefully, that will mean a $1.99 price point. At the $1.99 cover price, the author’s royalty would be just under 69 cents per sale. So, if your book sold 400 copies in a month, that would be roughly $272 in author royalties.

The minimum word limit for a Kindle Worlds story is 5,000 words and the price point for those shorts seems to be 99 cents. As a reader, I think that’s too short. But then, I like to spend time with a story’s characters and get to know and love them before I arrive at THE END.

3. LIMITED DISTRIBUTION: So far, the Kindle Worlds novels that I have written were only sold through Amazon.com and were not offered in any international Amazon venues. I am not sure if this is across the board with every “World,” but I’m hoping that my Kindle Worlds titles will soon be offered to my reader fans in other countries. It has been very hard for my die-hard international fans that they are not permitted to purchase Vampire for Hire: Wolf Moon.

4. ROYALTY STATEMENTS: Authors have to log into Author Central to see their Kindle Worlds sales and they are not posted daily, as they are in KDP. Once a month, you will get your royalty statement via Author Central that shows your Kindle Worlds sales. And, they lag behind the KDP reporting, which is a completely different reporting system. If you are looking for your August Kindle Worlds royalty statement, it should show up on September 30^th. The sign-ups for Kindle Worlds and Author Central are separate, but if you submit a Kindle Worlds title, you need to also sign up with Author Central since that’s where your royalties are reported.

I’ve written more than thirty titles, but I hope you’ll first check out my Kindle Worlds novellas:

Vampire for Hire: Wolf Moon (Kingsley Fulcrum, Werewolf for Hire, Book One) by Eve Paludan

The Abnorm Chronicles: Glimmer  by J.R. Rain and Eve Paludan

I think you will love Kindle Worlds as much as I do. As a reader, and as an author. Kindle Worlds offers wonderful opportunities to play in other authors’ worlds. You should check it out. It’s a blast!

 Kindle Worlds

– Vampire for Hire

– The Abnorm Chronicles

If you want to know more about writing for the Vampire for Hire Kindle World, please check out “10 Tips for Writing for the Vampire for Hire Kindle World” here

Thank you to Marcia Carrington for this terrific guest blog opportunity. You are an amazing Twitter friend and author!

Likewise Eve, it was lovely to have you on the blog today!

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EVE PALUDAN BIO: Eve Paludan is a bestselling author of more than thirty books. She lives in Mesa, Arizona, where she writes fiction and enjoys reading paranormal fiction, urban fantasy, romance and mysteries. She also enjoys taking scenic photos and swimming. All of her books are exclusively available on Amazon here

Eve’s Goodreads Page

Eve on Twitter

Guest Post: author Peggy Edelheit answers questions she’s frequently asked on being an author

Today we have the great pleasure of welcoming author Peggy Edelheit to Marcia’s Book Talk. Peggy, author of the Samantha Jamison mystery book series, answers questions which she is often asked about being an author. Peggy’s observations are acute, helpful, and very entertaining to read, and I am sure you will find these extremely interesting. Let us now let Peggy take us into her writing world…

Peggy Edelheit, author photograph

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Questions I’m frequently asked on being an Author. 

What is your specific genre?

Peggy: I write a mystery series. My protagonist is Samantha Jamison, an author, who solves mysteries with her crew.

THE RIVIERA IS BURNING by Peggy Edelheit

Although I did write a French Memoir called The Riviera Is Burning. It is a true story about me and my family fleeing fire from our home in France. It is told in the first person. So you only see it playing out from my point of view. It was a frightening experience I wanted to share with my readers. Trust me, what we experience stays with us and affects how react and think in the future, which is a premise I base my 10th mystery on.

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Peggy: Don’t let it stop you! Try to write everyday, even when the words are not flowing. That to me is important. Keep things moving along, no matter what. I just keep plugging away. I don’t set hours or have a rigid schedule other than writing each day. Of course I may delete a lot of it, but feel it’s important not to give up. I will consider anything, even swapping dialogue to do a change up for an unexpected twist, providing the chemistry works. Many times it does!

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What’s the best thing about being an Author?

Peggy: I get to start each book with a blank slate, making something out of nothing by writing whatever flows from my fingertips. I thoroughly enjoy my characters constantly vying for my attention, telling me what they should say and do. They have become so familiar to me, they’re like family. Several times I’ve had to yell, “Stop! I can’t write fast enough to get what you are all saying.” Sometimes it gets ugly and we have disagreements. That’s when I have put my foot down. After all, I’m the author, right?

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Peggy: Make a commitment. Become very familiar with the genre you’re interested in. Read and learn from the styles of other authors, but most importantly, create your own style. Make your own footprint. Have confidence and don’t ever stop believing in yourself. Surround yourself with things that motivate you to write. Your writing space is (your) space no matter how big or small.  Network with other authors of all genres. There is a wonderful community of talented people out there that you can learn from. They can give you valuable advice and guide you in the writing process. Read some of their blogs. Learn from their mistakes and advice. Only you can make it happen. Once you’ve made that plunge and are ready to publish, get a good EDITOR! I cannot stress that enough. A good Editor will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear!

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What inspires you?

Peggy: Many times what happens to me in real life experiences or places that I’ve been to, inspire me to write a particular mystery. Each of my mysteries takes place in locales that I am extremely familiar with, which keeps the details and storyline accurate and true. I just throw in my crew and let them have fun with it, even at the expense of Samantha, my protagonist, who is constantly riding that learning curve of life.

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Where did you get the idea for your 9th mystery in your series, Too Close For Comfort?

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT by Peggy Edelheit

Peggy: After researching my last mystery, #8, The Lush Life, I fell down a set of 150 year old Victorian steps, breaking and fracturing my right leg, which led to a wheelchair, crutches and physical therapy. Well, it was while I was in my second round of therapy for back damage from being in a wheelchair for so long, that I got to thinking. What if someone were to approach me while I was in therapy, dragging me into an unexpected mystery from my past? Thus, Too Close For Comfort #9 was born. That Vertigo attack in that one actually happened to me, including my ER visit. I just wasn’t poisoned by a cookie, and as they say, the (rest) was history. (Forgive that pun)

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Your series is always evolving. What are you currently working on?

THE PUZZLE by Peggy Edelheit

Peggy: Starting with The Puzzle, which is the first in my series, I explain how Samantha starts solving mysteries by trying to find out who killed her husband and how she meets her sleuthing crew. With each mystery, you follow their escapades and sleuthing capabilities, or in Sam’s case some humbling blunders along the way. I am currently working on my 10th mystery in my series, Saving Sindia, a striking departure for Sam. I am in the homestretch. This time Samantha takes a timeout for some self-perspective and the reader learns more about her on a more personal level. She solves this mystery while recalling some of her past and discovers we are who we are for specific reasons. It shapes how we think and react.

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Any last words of advice?

Don’t take your  life for granted. Make the most of it!

Life is one big mystery. I’m still trying to solve it…chuckle

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Peggy Edelheit Links

*Goodreads

*Twitter

*Smashwords

*Amazon

Guest Post: author Lynette Ferreira explores the power of music while writing

Today we warmly welcome author Lynette Ferreira again to Marcia’s Book Talk. Lynette, author of WOULD YOU REMEMBER ME?, LAYERED, ALL OVER AGAIN, and many other books, explores the power of music while writing, and how it can inspire ideas and concepts which makes writing fun and an interactive experience in and of itself. Let us allow Lynette to discuss this important and very helpful element to writing…

Lynette Ferreira, author photograph

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The Power of Music while Writing by Lynette Ferreira

As a reader, I am always interested in seeing how authors go about writing their stories and many say they write while listening to music. They claim music inspires the way they write and the way the words translate from their fingertips to paper.

This got me wondering: Why does music enable writers to write epic stories?

Music lacks images and symbols, we cannot see music and it has no relation to the world, yet music can be profoundly evocative and have deep echoes of unfamiliar, forgotten memories. Music has the ability to help us descend within ourselves, to remember long forgotten emotions. Without even knowing we are doing it, we tap our feet to the beat of the music, we hum the tune, sing the lyrics, while our facial expressions mirror the rise and fall of the musical notes.  Music has the power to evoke sensations and feelings, and passions we have no memory of. This may be seen as a half-conscious connection to music, a sort of involuntary personal expression, but these effects, as the music is translated into emotions, can easily become powerful.

One of the most dramatic effects of the power of music is the induction of trance states, which can culminate in profoundly altered states of consciousness.

Musical trances while writing might be a disturbing feeling—perhaps even frightening, especially when you ‘awaken’ from this daze 20,000 words later with absolutely no idea how you did it. Then, when you read what you had written while in this daydream you are actually in awe of yourself.

This kind of writing is essentially referred to as freewriting, right-brain writing or speed-writing.  Every writer has experienced moments of this strange, magical state. However, sometimes writers can write entire novels without drawing inspiration from this mystical place where imagination roams.

It is this trance-like experience which makes the writer an addict of telling stories.

Music can help a writer get into the zone, so why not try it. Find a song which you think is brilliant, one you know off by heart so it would not distract you because you aren’t really listening to it, one that calms and relaxes you, and one you know evokes the emotions you want to convey. Listen to only that one song or a couple of songs (going from soppy love song to blaring rock = distraction). Do not change your playlist in the middle of your epic novel, it will change your emotions, which in turn will alter the tone of your story. Throughout the process of writing your novel, listen to only this playlist, because music assists with short-term memory and will help you to remember the second cousin’s name of the uncle who lives in Alaska. Most importantly, soon enough when you hear the first notes of your playlist, everything inside of you, whatever makes you, you, will recall your story and it will be easier for you to get back into the writing dreamlike trance.

Make it epic!

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Here is a big thank you to Lynette for contributing her useful and thought-provoking essay to Marcia’s Book Talk. For more about Lynette, check out her interview on Marcia’s Book Talk here which has contact information, and more details about where to find Lynette’s books.

Guest Post: author Bea Cannon discusses ways of sparking ideas for writers

In today’s guest post, I have the immense pleasure of welcoming author Bea Cannon to Marcia’s Book Talk. Bea, author of the BOUCHER’S WORLD series of science fiction books, the CADY AND SAM paranormal series, and SPACESHIPS AND MAGIC fantasy series, discusses six ways which provided inspiration in writing her books, and how these can be helpful for writers to explore. Now, over to Bea for more about this compelling topic…

Bea Cannon, author photograph

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Six Ways of Sparking Ideas by Bea Cannon

I write science fiction and fantasy – sometimes a combination of both in the form of scifantasy – and the occasional short horror story. The first time I was asked from where I got ideas, I’d never really thought about it. I would just get one and off I’d go writing.

I guess I kind of figured I was pulling them out of thin air. Until I stopped to think about it. Then I had an epiphany: ideas didn’t just hit me up side my head from out of nowhere. Nope. They all had a source, something that sparked it. A beginning.

After a little reflection, I’ve come up with some of the bases for my story ideas (these are, by no means, all sources, but these have played a role in getting me started on a quite a few).

DREAMS:

And it can be just a snippet. The first book I wrote, “Boucher’s World: Emergent”, (science fiction dealing with the interactions between a group of humans, cats, dogs, and a race of giant aliens, all with psychic abilities and trapped together for two thousand years) came about because of a dream.

BOUCHER’S WORLD: Emergent by Bea Cannon

What was the dream? Well, it was about a girl, or young woman, who worked for a pest company, and her partner was a cat. They lived in a city covered by a dome. That was it (don’t ask me why I’d dream something like that! I’ve had even stranger ones!). The rest of the story sort of worked its way from there.

It was actually supposed to be one book but by the time I got through I had a whole series, which consists of a trilogy, a novel, two novellas, two novelettes, and a short story (not to mention I’m currently writing two more stories in the series, sequels to the trilogy) and it’s a series because as I wrote, I realized it was becoming way too long for one book.

CURRENT EVENTS:

Everyday life, especially recent or current events, is always good fodder for a nice yarn. I’ve written a number of drabbles (a story written in exactly one hundred words), and some are based on an actual event, such as “Once Upon a Spider”, taken from an encounter with an orb weaver by one of my daughters. Or the time I opened my washing machine and found I’d forgotten to check my jean pockets, resulting in another drabble, “Tatters”.

VISUAL PROMPTS:

For a while, I entered in a short story writing contest where the five-hundred-word-or-less story has to be written around a given image. It was quite an enjoyable exercise (only won once, a second place win, “A Moment in Time” but it was fun doing them). And, you don’t have to enter a contest to use visual prompts, any image will do. Believe it or not, I actually got the idea for my “Cady and Sam” werewolf series from seeing a picture of my house juxtaposed with one of a large dog.

AUDIBLE PROMPTS:

The drabble, “Noise”, is based on the fact that I have tinnitus, though I suppose it could also be considered a life event.

ODORS:

The drabble, “Martin’s Café”, came about from the delicious smell of bacon wafting up to my room one morning when my daughter was cooking breakfast (‘nuff said!).

MEMORY:

(Which could also be considered a life event but I kind of separate the two when the event was a very long time ago.) In the case of the series on which I’m currently working, “Spaceships and Magic”, the idea came from a memory. No, I don’t remember having been a dragon (wouldn’t it be really cool if I did?), but I’ve found that sometimes a little of myself gets into my stories.

TURNER: Bitter Change by Bea Cannon

When I was around three years old, I had a bad case of eczema and spent some time looking as though I was covered in scales. There was also a time when I felt alienated from everyone, and I ran away from home when I was twelve (hmm…someday I might get around to writing my autobiography…nah, writing fiction is much more fun!). Anyway, from those memories came the idea of “Turner: Bitter Change”, the story of Juri Turner, the human-born dragon. At the moment I’m working on book three (with notes for a fourth).

 

The thing is, story ideas can come from anywhere and these are six examples of where some of mine came from. Always try to keep a pencil and paper handy (but don’t do it on a napkin and put it in your pocket and then forget to check before you throw your pants in the wash!). That way, when an idea hauls off and slaps you in the face, you’ll be ready. Believe me, there’s nothing sadder – or more frustrating – than knowing you had a brilliant idea for a story but now you can’t remember it and you didn’t jot it down.

They don’t always pan out (okay, so sometimes it’s a really bad idea) but all the same, it doesn’t hurt to write it down.

Just in case.

*Links to Bea

Smashwords

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Never Make Your First Draft Your Final Draft!

You have just completed the first draft of your book, and it is ready to be uploaded to the specific e-book website. You are about to press the button for it to be published…

WARNING! STOP! DO NOT PROCEED ANY FURTHER!

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This is something which seems obvious at first glance, but the more that one writes, the more essential this becomes in retrospect. Presenting a first draft as one’s final draft is a mistake in many ways, for a number of reasons. The story, first and foremost, is not yet ready for final uploading as it has not undergone what I would say is its refining. I find it generally very helpful if I write the first draft of a book, to back away from it. The distance, and time away from the particular book is something the writer needs in order to get their bearings, and really ‘make sense’ of the story on which they are working. If one does not do this, then the story is really being short-changed, and the writer robbed of opportunities to explore certain elements to their greatest capacity.

When the writer returns to the story after a period of, say, weeks, or even a few days, questions will begin to be posed that were not obvious when the story was first written. Maybe some parts of the story are rushed and need to be fleshed out more. Something that seems confusing to you as a writer will no doubt be confusing to the reader, and it is good to eliminate as many inconsistencies and continuity lapses as soon as possible. Adding a character or several may be something else which provides depth and realism to your book. In addition, having a beta reader during this process also assists in highlighting deficiencies which can be corrected by a second reader.

These are just some of the things one might miss out on by releasing their book before it is really ready. Spelling mistakes are another feature of writing that writers stew over. I myself have found that I have uploaded a work which I thought was perfect, but once it is up for the world to see, I find a spelling error! I have found it extremely helpful to make a PDF of my work after I have uploaded, and check it for errors. Maybe the ‘security valve’ of having the book released makes us more open to spelling mistakes, and getting rid of these as soon as we can is a good feeling!

I have briefly summarized some points about why not to release your book before it, and you the writer, are really ready, which I hope has been of benefit. I think the general message is that we should take time with our writing, as it is, after all, an organic process, and not lose the opportunity to showcase our works to their best.

Guest Post: author Lizzie Lamb discusses the use of locations in her novels

Today we warmly welcome author Lizzie Lamb to Marcia’s Book Talk. Lizzie, author of TALL, DARK AND KILTED, SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS and BOOT CAMP BRIDE, discusses the fascinating use of locations for her novels, and how, and why she chose these particular places. Without any further ado, let us hear from Lizzie about the employment of locations in her books, and why she chose to spotlight these beautiful places…

Lizzie Lamb, author photograph

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Location. Location. Location by Lizzie Lamb

How does a writer choose the location for her novels? Maybe it’s somewhere she loves and has revisited many times. Maybe it’s somewhere new which sparks off her imagination and she finds herself wondering what if . . . then the characters start forming themselves into an orderly queue, demanding to be given voice through the pages of her book.

Notting Hill setting for TALL, DARK AND KILTED

 

Wester Ross, setting for SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS

 

Wester Ross, setting for SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS (2)

 

Wester Ross, setting for SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS (3)

For example, in Tall, Dark and Kilted I have two different locations: Notting Hill and Wester Ross. I loved the movie Notting Hill and was intrigued by how desirable that area has become, when once it was regarded as a slum and was the scene of race riots in the late 50’s. A few summers ago I had a one-off opportunity to explore the garden square where Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts fell in love. These gardens are private and access is usually only available to the owners of the million pound houses which back onto these fabulous green rectangles. The garden which blew me away, was one just off Elgin Crescent W11.

Kensington setting for TALL, DARK AND KILTED

 

Royal Borough of Chelsea setting for TALL DARN AND KILTED

Inspired, I used it for the location where out-of-control sisters, Cat and Isla Urquhart, hold a wild party and get busted by the local police. As a direct result, the heroine Fliss, loses her job and travels up to Wester Ross to manage a holistic spa owned by their ditzy mother, Mitzi. There she clashes with their brother, brooding, haunted Ruairi Urquhart. Their love story unfolds against a backdrop of a highland castle set in beautiful Wester Ross, Kinloch Mara.

Highland of Scotland

Scotland has featured in two of my books and will also be the setting for number four (hopefully published late 2016). Why Scotland? Anyone who visits the far west coast of Argyllshire and further north cannot fail to be affected by the swirling mists, changing light and the magical, mystical atmosphere engendered by the lochs, mountains and rushy glens. Small wonder the place is populated by faerie waterfalls, monsters in the mist and – of course – gorgeous heroes wearing kilts.

Highland of Scotland (2)

In Scotch on the Rocks I have imagined a once-thriving island community – Eilean na Sgairbh, now almost deserted since the closure of the local whisky distillery owned by my heroine, Ishabel’s, family. This island was partly inspired by Skye and Kyle of Lochalsh, but is in fact an amalgam of other places I’ve visited on that coast. I loved the idea of an island community cut off from the mainland twice daily by the tide and only accessed by an ancient causeway known as The Narrows. It is across this causeway that the hero Brodie is blown in on a storm wind – and then the fun begins. I was able to give full rein to my imagination and describe the island in some detail when Issy takes Brodie on a guided tour of Eilean na Sgairbh to visit the ruined distillery. He nervously clings to the side of the car, being more used to six lane highways and urban American landscape than the soft contours of Eilean na Sgairbh.

North West Norfolk, setting for BOOT CAMP BRIDE

 

North West Norfolk, setting for BOOT CAMP BRIDE (2)

Boot Camp Bride was inspired by a totally different location, North-West Norfolk. A friend has a house in Thornham, near Hunstanton, and I’ve spent many happy days walking on the marshes. That coast has a stripped back beauty which you don’t get at first glance, it took me several visits to ‘get my eye in’ and I’ve loved it after ever since. Once, when sitting on a bench overlooking the marshes, watching flocks of wild birds coming in to feed, I thought what a great place it would be to smuggle drugs into the country! Behind me was a large house known as Thornham Manor and I thought – what if the house was a Boot Camp for Brides and a front for smuggling activities? My mind ran on a bit further – what if a rookie journalist (Charlee Montague) has to pose as a prospective bride to gain entrance and a cynical, hard bitten photographer (Rafael Fonsecca-Ffinch) poses as her fake fiancé to get the ‘scoop’? The hero, Rafa, also happens to own a mews cottage located in a Chelsea backwater – it’s in need of a serious upgrade, but I could almost imagine Austin Powers living in it! That’s the best thing about being a writer, you can do whatever you want with your characters and where they live.

That about wraps it up. If you like your romance with a great big dollop of humour, fabulous locations and guaranteed happy ending, check out my novels. My heroines are can-do, go-getting women and my heroes – well, they’re just to die for – kilted or not!

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Lizzie Lamb Links

Amazon page

Facebook

Email: lizzielambwriter@gmail.com

website

Linked in

Goodreads

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Lizzie’s Blog

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Lizzie Lamb Bio

Life is not a rehearsal
If you have a dream – go for it.

After teaching her 1000th pupil and working as a deputy head teacher in a large primary school, Lizzie decided it was time to leave the chalk face and pursue her first love: writing. She joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, honed her craft and wrote Tall, Dark and Kilted (2012), quickly followed a year later by Boot Camp Bride. Lizzie loves the quick fire interchanges between the hero and heroine in the old black and white Hollywood movies, and hopes this love of dialogue comes across in her writing. Although much of her time is taken up publicising Tall, Dark and Kilted and Boot Camp Bride, she has published a third novel SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS and started research for number four. Lizzie is a founding member of indie publishing group – New Romantics Press. In November 2014 they held an Author Event at Waterstones High Street, Kensington, London the icing on the cake as far as they are concerned – and a fitting way to celebrate their achievements. As for the years Lizzie spent as a teacher, they haven’t quite gone to waste as she is building up a reputation as a go-to speaker on the subject of self-publishing.

MORE ABOUT LIZZIE

With Scottish, Irish, and Brazilian blood in her veins, it’s hardly surprising that Lizzie Lamb is a writer. She even wrote extra scenes for the films she watched as a child and acted out in the playground with her friends. She is ashamed to admit that she kept all the good lines for herself. Luckily, she saves them for her readers these days. Check out her reviews, they speak for themselves.

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Here are the book blurbs for Lizzie’s books if you want to find out more about them:

Lizzie Lamb’s book covers

BLURB FOR TALL DARK AND KILTED:

Fliss Bagshawe longs for a passport out of Pimlico where she works as a holistic therapist. After attending a party in Notting Hill she loses her job and with it the dream of being her own boss. She’s offered the chance to take over a failing therapy centre, but there’s a catch. The centre lies five hundred miles north in Wester Ross, Scotland. Fliss’s romantic view of the highlands populated by Men in Kilts is shattered when she has an upclose and personal encounter with the Laird of Kinloch Mara, Ruairi Urquhart. He’s determined to pull the plug on the business, bring his eccentric family to heel and eject undesirables from his estate – starting with Fliss. Facing the dole queue once more Fliss resolves to make sexy, infuriating Ruairi revise his unflattering opinion of her, turn the therapy centre around and sort out his dysfunctional family. Can Fliss tame the Monarch of the Glen and find the happiness she deserves?

http://viewbook.at/B009SG3EQY 

 

BLURB FOR BOOT CAMP BRIDE

Take an up-for-anything rookie reporter. Add a world-weary photo-journalist. Put them together . . . light the blue touch paper and stand well back! Posing as a bride-to-be, Charlee Montague goes undercover at a boot camp for brides in Norfolk to photograph supermodel Anastasia Markova looking less than perfect. At Charlee’s side and posing as her fiancé, is Rafael Ffinch award winning photographer and survivor of a kidnap attempt in Colombia. He’s in no mood to cut inexperienced Charlee any slack and has made it plain that once the investigation is over, their partnership – and fake engagement – will be terminated, too. Soon Charlee has more questions than answers. What’s the real reason behind Ffinch’s interest in the boot camp? How is it connected to his kidnap in Colombia? In setting out to uncover the truth, Charlee puts herself in danger … As the investigation draws to a close, she wonders if she’ll be able to hand back the engagement ring and walk away from Rafa without a backward glance.

http://viewbook.at/bootcampbride

 

BLURB FOR SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS

Where the men are men and the women are glad of it!

ISHABEL STUART is at the crossroads of her life.

Her wealthy industrialist father has died unexpectedly, leaving her a half-share in a ruined whisky distillery and the task of scattering his ashes on a Munro. After discovering her fiancé playing away from home, she cancels their lavish Christmas wedding at St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh and heads for the only place she feels safe – Eilean na Sgairbh, a windswept island on Scotland’s west coast -where the cormorants outnumber the inhabitants, ten to one.

When she arrives at her family home – now a bed and breakfast managed by her left-wing, firebrand Aunt Esme, she finds a guest in situ – BRODIE. Issy longs for peace and the chance to lick her wounds, but gorgeous, sexy American, Brodie, turns her world upside down.

In spite of her vow to steer clear of men, she grows to rely on Brodie. However, she suspects him of having an ulterior motive for staying at her aunt’s B&B on remote Cormorant Island. Having been let down twice by the men in her life, will it be third time lucky for Issy? Is it wise to trust a man she knows nothing about – a man who presents her with more questions than answers?

As for Aunt Esme, she has secrets of her own . . .

viewBook.at/scotchontherocks

 

BLURB FOR HOCUS POCUS

An anthology of short stories and novellas with a mystical twist, spooky rather than gory. From haunted house to fallen angel, devious spirit to soul stealers there are thirteen (of course!) spine-tinglers to delight the reader. Among the collection you will find award winning authors of bestselling novels, but there are some new voices, too. My story Jumping the Queue is about . . . well, I’ll leave you to read it and find out. I wouldn’t want to spoil the ending now, would I?

Hocus Pocus ’14 – a collection of spooky short stories

http://tinyurl.com/Hocus-Pocus14

Guest Post: author Jeff Joseph discusses how to Awaken the Writer Within

Today we warmly welcome author Jeff Joseph again to Marcia’s Book Talk. Jeff, author of THE TRIALS OF VIRTUE, the Novel series of books A NOVEL OBSESSION and PURSUED, and his newest work LOST HEART, discusses writing from his personal experience, and how in the great number of instances the only person preventing us from pursuing our passion for writing can be ourselves. Very truthful, and uplifting advice for writers to act upon. We will now allow Jeff to show us how to awaken the writer within ourselves…

Jeff Joseph, author photograph

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AWAKEN THE WRITER WITHIN by Jeff Joseph

When I’m with family, friends, or acquaintances, I never bring up the subject of my writing. I’m more than happy to talk about it but don’t feel comfortable with what may appear to be self-promotion. Should someone else broach the subject though, I’m off and running because it’s such a fun topic to talk about…not me…writing.

Once on a roll, I always wind up talking the most about how I find writing to be a powerful and gratifying way to release stress. There are few things in life that get me in a better mood more quickly than completing the chapter of a book, an important passage, or even a meaningful sentence. And dialogue? I simply get lost in writing dialogue as if I was actually living the scene. Talk about escape! It’s like watching a great movie except that you have complete control over what takes place. You can write whatever ending you like. Sometimes I’ll sit down intending to write for a half hour and get up from my computer six hours later feeling giddy and energized. Yes…after six hours!

The beautiful thing about the exhilaration that comes from writing is that you can experience it whenever you can find the time to sit down and create. You don’t have to wait for the next great movie to come out, or until your favorite team wins a big game. And as I mentioned, it can come in any increment of time. Want to feel great? Got ten minutes? Go for it!

Finally, as is the case now, I always conclude my thoughts on writing by doing a small amount of soft and well-intended lecturing.

Many, many people conceive of the idea of writing…something. The desire ranges from a passing, casual thought, to a fervent, lifelong ambition. The sad truth is that nearly all of those fancies are never realized. Why? Because people make up their mind they can’t do it before they ever give it a chance.

I was one of those people until about twenty years ago when I finally made up my mind to try to write a novel. I did it for the sole purpose of seeing if I could complete one. I never dared dream about having it published. I had no time-table. I was busy with my job and family, but it’s amazing how much time you can find once you get started. I would write during my lunch hour instead of scouring the sports page. I would write while waiting for my car to be repaired rather than mindlessly watching daytime TV or reading year old magazines. I even wrote once while stuck in a traffic jam that didn’t move an inch for forty-five minutes. I put my car in park, pulled out my binder, and wrote away. Once traffic started moving again I was completely relaxed and felt great. Every other driver was ready to pop a vein.

I finished that book…it took ten years. Crazy right? No, not at all. I can’t even begin to express the self-satisfaction it brought me, more than any other accomplishment in my life to that point. Along the journey writing became a treasured hobby, the only hobby I’ve ever stuck with consistently. The book was short and not very good, but it didn’t matter. I completed it!

Since that time, and several books later, writing has become a more serious pursuit. My work has gotten much better as I’ve navigated the enjoyable learning process, and it’s more of a full-time job now. Do I love it less because of that? No…far more. What a wonderful, gratifying way to spend time.

The salient point of my lecture is this. If you have ever thought about writing, the only thing preventing you from doing it…is you.

Don’t worry about whether or not you’re creative (I am the least creative person I know). Most stop before starting for that reason. Don’t worry about whether or not you have the talent to sell your writing. If you write to please yourself, you may wind up selling your work, but if not will still be pleased with yourself! Either way you win.

Is writing hard? No. Do you need to take classes or read books on the subject before you can consider it? No. Have you ever read a book before? If so then you already know a lot about it. If you continue to read while you write, you will learn more that you can imagine. For now though, just think of something to write about. Relax, clear your mind of other things that are troubling you, and start typing. You can write a novel, or a non-fiction book on a subject you have a passion for, or a short story, or an article, or a diary. It doesn’t matter. Will it be good? Probably better than you think, but that doesn’t matter either. Will it get better the more you write? Definitely! Will you enjoy yourself? You know you will. You wouldn’t have read this to the end if you didn’t think that.

Get started. Write anything. Do it today. Enjoy it for the rest of  your life.

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This is a great essay, filled with many thought-provoking and helpful points for writers, and thank you to Jeff for contributing his essay to the blog. If you would like to find out more about Jeff, check out his interview on Marcia’s Book Talk here which has contact information, and more details about where to find Jeff’s books.

Guest Post: author Toya Richardson discusses the development of her works for readers

In today’s guest post, I have the immense pleasure of welcoming author Toya Richardson to the blog. Toya, best-known for her romance books THE ATLANTEAN BIRTHRIGHT and FLAME, discusses the development of her works over a period of time, and how it is always beneficial to keep prospective projects on the back burner as they can prove invaluable when one least expects it. I am sure you will find Toya’s experience very interesting and extremely helpful, so, over to you Toya!

Toya Richardson, author photograph

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First of all I’d like to thank Marcia very much for inviting me to appear on her blog. It means a lot to me 😀

I decided to chat about my favourite subject, writing. I’ve always had a vivid imagination and written stories since the tender age of eight. My mum was my biggest supporter and really wanted to see me published. However, that never happened. She died in 2009, leaving a huge void in my life. I honestly believe that her death was the catalyst for me writing in a near-frenzy ever since she left me. It helped with my grief and depression that I had after losing not just my parent, but my best friend and confidant.

FLAME by Toya Richardson

In 2010, I’d finally finished writing a romance/thriller called Flame – I had been writing it since 2000. I tried to submit to agencies and publishers with no luck. I’d spent an awful lot of money on critiques for it and in the end I felt it was no longer my “voice” in the story. So I stuck it in the back of a cupboard and forgot about it.

After that I wrote a fantasy novel, which was picked up by an agent although no publisher was interested. With my agent’s help, I self-published at great personal expense – something I will never do again, I’d advise authors to go via Amazon instead and wished I had.

Shortly after that I started to write romance stories with a kind of magical twist. It wasn’t something that my agent represented and so we amicably parted company. But not before he’d kindly asked one of his readers to look at it for me. This is where I learned that what I had written was paranormal romance, something I’d never heard of before. I am now an avid reader of that genre and love it! It has every element that I love in a story, romance, sexy scenes and the eternal fight of good against evil.

THE ATLANTEAN BIRTHRIGHT by Toya Richardson

I had three offers all at once for my Eternal Love of the Seekers series and finally decided upon the US based, Red Sage Publishing. The first book, The Atlantean Birthright, was released October 2014. Book two, Rise of the Chameleons is due out in October 2015, with the other five being released in the following months. I do have book eight written, but it needs more work done to it.

After my success in signing for a publisher, I pulled Flame out of the back of the cupboard. I wanted to re-write it so it had my “voice” again. I did so and in February this year, it was released by Little Bird Publishing House.

Each one of my books will be dedicated to my mum because without her, I am not certain I would have written as many as I now have. At the last count, I have seventeen books written in contemporary, paranormal and fantasy romance, but I haven’t submitted all of them – yet.

I have a few words of advice, which may be of help to budding authors out there. The first, and most important, was given to me by a fellow author at a workshop a few years back and I quote, “Write because you love to write. If you’re doing it purely for the money you might as well stop now.” That is so true.

Remember to edit as much as you possibly can, read submission guidelines carefully and follow them to the letter or your work won’t be looked at, get a beta reader that you can trust – I’m still searching for one if anyone is interested – if speech doesn’t sound right, then read it out loud it really does help, if you’re offered a contract check it thoroughly. And if you have an idea while you’re out, and don’t have your trusty notepad and pen with you, text yourself the idea on your mobile phone.

I realise that I am fortunate to have two publishers, but I still work, run a home etc. – like most wonderful authors out there do. I doubt I’ll ever make a living out of it but it’s my passion, which I love very much and makes me feel happy. And if a few readers enjoy my books, then my work is done.

LINKS

Website www.toyarichardson.com

Twitter @ToyaRichardson1

Facebook

Goodreads

Barnes and Noble Author Page